Lounge chair



F. J. LUKETA Feb. 9, 1954 LOUNGE CHAIR 4 SheetsSheet 1 Filed June 11, 1949 FRANK J. LUKETA INVENTOR. REYNOLDS & BEACH ATTORNEYS BYW F. J. LUKETA Feb. 9, 1954 LOUNGE CHAIR 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 11, 1949 ill IIIIIIII ..II|I ll|i 1 FRANK J. LUKETA INVENTOR.

REYNOLDS & BEACH A ORNEYS MMAW Feb. 9, 1954 Filed June 11, 1949 F. J. LUKETA 2,668,581

LOUNGE CHAIR 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 FRANK J. LUKETA INVENTOR. REYNOLDS & BEACH AT ORNEYS' Feb. 9, 1954 F. J. LUKETA 2,668,581

LOUNGE CHAIR Filed June 11, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 5 I 49c 1 9 19b 2 59 O o 63 0| 59d 19a I 1 62 I 1 L7 I I 6 60 61 65 I \I\\(I\\\\l\ I\\;\9\c'\l:I\\ 19 190/ EA :Flg 5 49 59 FRANK J. LUKETA 1N VEN TOR.

REYNOLDS E BEACH ments, to accomplish their movement. of example, the motor carried by the seat will Patented Feb. 9, 1954 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE LOUNGE CHAIR Frank J. Luketa, Seattle, Wash.

Application June -11, 1949, Serial No. 98,511

7 Claims. I

This application, like various othervcopending applications, concerns a chair whereina seatand aback, each of which constitutes a mainbodysupporting member, is tiitable about a common axis, located near the rear edge of the-seat, with respect to a fixed floor-engaging support. The tilting is accomplished by motor means which will tilt either the seat or the back independently about their common pivot axis. Additionally,

and still in commonwithmany oi the other cases tionally, is also tiltable with respect to the swinging edge-of its mainbody-supporting element. The leg rest'is so tiltable y p w means,

and thehead rest could be, but is not soarranged herein. As to the leg rest, in this chair its tilting axis is the axis which is common to the tiltable seat and back.

Unlike other cases of the series, the present invention involves a single motor means consisting, in the form illustrated, of asingle electric motor With multiple power take-oils and transmissions, this motor being mounted on one of the mainbody-supporting members, the'seat preferably, andtransmitting'power under selective controls and through the individual power take-offs and transmissions to the several movable .ele-

By way and lowering of the leg rest. It might effect but is not arranged in the disclosure toeffect, tilting of'thehead rest, and in the present disclosure tilting of the head rest is manually accomplished.

Such location and arrangement of the motor,

and the necessity of controlling-the samefrom-a remote point for accomplishment of theparticular movement or movements desiredas also'the necessity of transmitting power reliably from the single motor to the various movable elements, some closely adjacent and others remotely lo- 'cated, often pastor through independently pivotable orotherwise movable intermediate-elements, with no conspicuous evidence of such transmission means-and withno-loss of compactness, comiort, convenience, or serviceability, introduces many involved problems-of coordination, and the solution of suchproblems and the product-ionof "a unitary,coordinated-design havingthe multiple capabilities indicated, is'the primary object of this invention.

One of the objects of the present invention is 'to provide such a *chairhaving the-severalcapabilities of adjustment already indicated, wherein the several adjustments may be independently but not necessarily sequentially) "accomplished, usually in either sense, as projection and retraction, from a single electric motonsoth'at allthe motormechanism may be concentrated ill-011E location and'the power canbetransmitte'd -by-simvpl means to the various independently movable members of the chair.

It is a further object to'prOVide'achairwhiCh by reason of the mountingofthemotor-in the manner already indicated, can be mad-e of'lighter, less bulky construction 1 than chairs of the same general type heretofore devise'd'by me,jparticularly with respect to the floor engaging frame or support, andthe over-all cost can be lessened.

With respect to the'motorand power take-off mechanism, it is an object to provide a compact, light, and comparatively simple arrangement, capable of incorporation in such a chair, without unduly interfering withitsfun'ction as such/nor withits comfort, which is-capa-ble of control, usually in oppositesenses, by control devices suchas electric. switches remotely located on the chair.

Withsuch vobjectsin mind, and others as will appear hereinafter, my invention comprises the novel chair, and the novel combination and ararrangement of the several parts thereof, asshown in the accompanying drawings, described in this specification, and as willbe more'particularly definedby the claims which terminate the same.

In theaccompanying drawings the invention is shown embodied in a typical and presentlypreferred form,,and it will beunderstood that various changes may be made in the form, character, and arrangement of the several parts within the scope of the claims.

Figure l is a general plan View of the chair, with the seat and-back both in more or less horizontal or reclining position, and with the head rest and leg rest extended'the View showingva'rious parts'broken away to'illustrate the'interior construction and arrangement.

Figure'2 is in general a sideelevation ofthe chair, with-parts inmuch-ithe same "position as shown inFigure 1, parts in this *view being also broken away to show the interior construction and arrangement.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but limited to the seat and leg rest, with particular emphasis on the showing of the leg rest projecting and retracting mechanism.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view, taken substantially on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2, broken back, however, to illustrate the leg rest tilting and the back tilting mechanisms.

Figure 6 is an enlarged part-sectional view in plan, showing parts in the vicinity of the common pivot axis of the seat, back and leg rest.

Figure 7 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of the chair as a whole, with particular emphasis on the supporting frame and the side arms, and their juncture with the back. v

Figure 8 is a side elevation, and Figure 9 is in general an axial or plan section, of the power and power transmission mechanism.

The seat I and back 2 are each pivotally mounted for tilting about a common axis, defined by the transverse elevated pivot rod 38, which is in effect a part of the floor-engaging frame 3. This may be accomplished. by pivotally mounting the frame of the seat directly upon the pivot rod 30, or through the intermediary of a boss H], which is part of a quadrant N that is keyed immovably to the shaft near the opposite sides of the frame, (see Figure 6), and by supporting the back directly upon arms 2|, which project radially at each end of a tubular shaft oscillatably mounted upon the fixed pivot rod 39. The pivot rod is fixedly supported at 32 in each side of the floor engaging frame 3. The

tubular shaft 20 is formed in two parts rotatively interconnected but capable of being pulled apart endwise for convenience of assembly and disassembly; see Figure 6.

To complete the description of the mechanism in the vicinity of the pivot rod 35, it will be:

noted that a second tubular element 4% surrounds the oscillatable tubular shaft 21!, and this element 40, in a manner which will be explained shortly, is caused to oscillate in order to accomplish elevation and depression or tilting of the leg rest 4.

Likewise, in the vicinity of, but offset from, the axis of the pivot rod 30 is a jack shaft i3, journaled in the frame of the seat, and carrying pinions I2 which mesh with the fixed quadrants II, and a tubular jack shaft 23 surrounds and is rotatable about the jack shaft Hi, this jack shaft 23 carrying a pinion 24 which meshes with a quadrant 22 which is rigid with the back supporting arms 2!, and with the tubular shaft 2| It is clear that rotation of the jack shaft 13 will cause the gear [2 to ride upwardly or down wardly about the axis of the fixed quadrant thereby to raise or lower the forward edge of the seat wherein the jack shaft E3 is journaled. In like manner, rotation of the tubular jack shaft 23 will effect tilting of the quadrant 22 and arms 2|, hence of the back 2 relative to the seat. The pinions I2 and the fixed quadrants are duplicated at opposite sides, so that the seat will not sag at one side, but the backtilting mechanism is not thus duplicated, the pinion 24 and quadrant 22 being provided at one side only, but the connection across is by means of the rigid tubular shaft 20, which joins both back-tilting arms 2| into a rigid whole.

The single electric motor M is mounted upon one of the main body-supporting members; in the form illustrated it is carried within the seat I. It is provided with a plurality of power takeof the pivot rod 35.

offs, individually controllable, yet capable of being energized coincidentally with energization of other such power take-offs. All are shown herein within the housing H. The details of this multiple power take-off are shown in Figures 8 and 9, but without going into the details of such mechanism at this point, it may be noted that a plurality of flexible shafts extend from the power take-off within the housing 1-1. to individual driven mechanisms having to 'do with the individual adjustments of the various parts of the chair.

For the purpose of tilting the back, a flexible shaft'29 extends from the appropriate power take-off, is journaled at 28 in the frame of the seat, and rotates a screw 21 in one sense or the other in the direction of its length. By so doing, a rack 26, wherein an end of screw 2'! is threaded, and which is guided in the frame of the seat I, and meshes with a rack pinion 25 upon the tubular jack shaft 23, effects rotation of the latter; this, through the pinion 24 meshing with the quadrant 22, effects oscillation of the tubular main shaft 25, and of the back about the axis In similar fashion a flexible shaft I9 rotates a screw I1 fixedly journaled at IS in the frame of the seat l, and threaded within a nut carried by rack l5, thereby shifting lengthwise the rack It which meshes with a rack pinion I5, carried by the jack shaft i3. In turn this effects rotation of the pinion |2, causing it to move upwardly or downwardly about the fixedly positioned quadrant thus to tilt the seat The foot rest 4 is carried by arms 4|, which in effect are extensible and retractable. These arms 4| to that end are slidably guided, for movement in the direction of their own length, within guides 42, which are fixed to the tubular shaft 40, previously referred to. Extension and retraction of the arms 4| within the tiltable guides 42 is accomplished by means such as the flexible shaft 49, takin off from the appropriate power takeoff within the housing H, of which there are two, one for each side of the chair; these flexible shafts (see Figures 3 and 4;) terminate in a screw or worm 48, journaled within the guide 42, and meshing with a rack 47 which is formed upon the arms 4|. r V

Tilting of the leg rest and its extensible supports 4|, 42 is accomplished by oscillating the tubular shaft 40. A radial arm 46 thereon is rocked one way or the other by a jack screw 45 fixedly journaled in the frame of the seat, and

- threaded within a nut 44 which is connected to the links 46, that engage the arm 45. The screw 45 is rotated for raising or lowering of the legrest by the flexible shaft 43, which takes off from its individual power take-off within the housin H.

The head rest 5 is similarly projectable and retractable, and tiltable, although preferably its tilting is effected by hand. It is supported-on arms 5| guided within a guide 52, which is pivotally supported at 50, fixedly journaled within the frame of the back 2. Extension and retraction of the supporting arms 5| are accomplished by mechanism similar to that described in conjunction with the leg rest, for instance by a screw 53 journaled within the guide 52 and threaded within the arm 5|, the screw being rotated by means of a flexible shaft 59 which takes off from its appropriate power take-01f within the housing H. a

The rock shaft carries a ratchet quadrant 55, with which is engageable a spring-held dog 55,--which';inturn is :disengageable uponcenergization ofassolenoid 5:1. {A projecting striker 58 carried bythe 'inner endvof the-slidin *arm 5'i maysangage the dog-55hr elements con- -nected therewithgas the headrest 5 in retraction approaches its innermost :position," todisengage the dog :55 automatically and thereby avoid interference of t'he head rest ":5 or its :arms '5 l with the end of the back 2. The-head'restiisrltilted "forwardlyorupwardly by hand, and the ratchet "means 55, "56 hold it in any such 4 position .of :ad-

justment. In all normal operations energization of the solenoid F51 willrdisengage I the dog =55 and permit the head rest 5 to tilt :by :gravity to its --rearmost "or :lowermost position, but :if the occu- -.pant*fails or forgets so'to energize the solenoid no harm =results, .as the :dog 56 is automatically --disengaged by th'e striker 58, as already :made clear.

pending applications in =m-y same series, the side arms-Tare not-a -part of the fioorengag'ing frame 3,-'but are secured -to-the';'back 2 to tilt with the latter. The connection *to this end isshown at 21'. By this means -the-"occupant may recline "comfortably and continue to rest his forearms upon the side arms 7 of-the chair, whilethe back rises -or falls. :ContrOhbuttons -C are positioned upon va "side arm for selective control of energication and of --the sense of operation ofthe several power take-oifs or flexibleshafts, andthese, by tiltingwiththe side arm and back, are always within convenient reach of the occupant. As will "be understood, the seat, the back, and'the side armsare kappropria'tely recessed or slotted for .the projection and movement of the back supporting {arms 2|, of the leg rest supporting .arms ilrof the head rest supporting arms 5|, .:and for. similar purposes.

Toireview briefly the operationof the cparts'so .far described, it will be realizedthatby opera- .tion of the-correct button or control vClthe'seat may be tilted upwardly or downwardlv by-applying power to the flexible shaft i9; theqbackmay be tilted upwardly or downwardly relative to the seat by applying 'power to the flexible shaft 29. In passing, it may be remarked that whenever the seat .1 is tilted, the =back12 'lwill tilt with it, unless simultaneously the back control is compensatingly energized, but the converse is not true. By applying power to the flexible shaft 49 the leg rest may be projected or retracted, and by applying power to the flexible shaft 43' it may be tilted upwardly or downwardly, that is, it may be raised or lowered. Each such movement is independent of the other, and independent of movement of the seat or back, although they may be simultaneously accomplished. Likewise, by applying power to the flexible shaft 59 the head rest may be projected or retracted, and when so projected it can be tilted forwardly or rearwardly, and automatically in the event of retraction, if it has not previously been depressed, it will be depressed.

The power take-oifs and the first part of the power transmission mechanism are shown in Figures 8 and 9, and in these views the flexible, shafts or their initial elements are designated by the same numerals as previously used. Each of the drives is shown to be reversible, and therefore the motor shaft 6 terminates in a bevel gear 60, which meshes in common with two oppositely rotative bevel gears 6| on stub shafts 62, to which are secured main friction driving wheels 63a and 63b, one of which corresponds to forward drive '6 andztheptherztoreversezdrive. .:'Ihese:whee1s.-:are shown: as 1 grooved for. r engagement ithfillewifih idf complementally sshaped'; driven .wheels amounted upon "the eseveral shafts LI 9,129,:t3g49, sand-:59. *5 -Eachisuchushaftlis journaledsxinzar-sleeveafi, :p v-

"otallyzmountedattfi5rupon.a'gear;.casingaG,iwhich :is rigid -'.=with:the .motor :f-rame and housing, ':-so .that byttiltingof the "sleeve lii'kthezidr-iven wheel 519a :or: 59 b, "for .iexample, :may :be :selectivelycen- :gaged :with' the :respective drivingcwheels'itiia 'IO! -53 b, ras the required-, 'sense -"of:-operationrfcallsifor. ln thislparticular.rcase'engagement-ofithe:driven wheel 59a with driving wheel263a-smightwxtend the Bhea'd 'rest- 5:5, and. engagement: of Tithe z-"driven wvheel' figb with-driving .wheel1i63b' wouldithenireitra'ct the same. :Some ofthe-drives-arenotrnecessarily/ double'ended,ibut:all are normallyireversi- 'ble, :so that by :waysof a second. example iltilting -of.-'-:that sleeve .64 which journals' the shaft? l iliwill engageathe driven :wh-eel? i Qaaor i 1912' withI-t-hedrivingwheel -fi3a or 663b, respectively, in -the oneinstance' to raiseathexswinging edge of the seatmnd in the other instance to lower: the seat.

i'Double :acting solenoids. are providedrfor-iaccomplishing this tiltin of the journal. sleeve fl.

Thus, for f instance, the solenoid tscgthe arma ture whereof controls the:positioning of the :yoke 1303, which solenoid is supported at use from :a fixed frame element, is normally spring-held 'in a :neutral position wherein" neitherdriven whel 49a nor i tab is engaged withthe correspon'din'g rdriving wheels, but upon: energization of oneen'd cof fthe solenoid I 30, one of f the driven whels referred to engaged with its driving' wheel, and upon energization of theropposite end'o'f -the solenoid :the other :such dri-ven wheel 'is= operatively -engaged;

In: similar "fashion *solenoids 43c, 29c, *59c', and 49c controll'energization oi 'their"respectiveshafts 40 .4.3, :29, :59, and -49. The"energization' of these solenoids, 'it will :be understood, is accomplished --by manipulationof the "correct controlbutton C. Deenergizationiof the solenoid perniits thearmaiture :ito :return automatically to neutral posit-ion, wherein .eneither driven wheel engages a driving zwheel.

w'C1early,- movement of-any ele'mentpf the-chair :occurs so long as, and no longer "than, its pareticulzirsolenoid is energized by its :button at 'c,

and the sense of its movement is governed by the choice at such button of the one end or the other of its solenoid for energization. Given adequate power at the driving wheels 63a and 63b, any combination of movements, or even movement of all such elements, can be accomplished simultaneously.

I claim as my invention:

1. A chair comprising a floor-engaging support including a transverse pivot rod means supporting said pivot rod in a position elevated above the floor, a seat and a back each independently pivotally mounted thereon to tilt about such axis, means reacting between one of the seat or back and said support to tiltably adjust said seat or back, as the case may be, relative to said support, and to retain the same in any such position of adjustment, and means reacting directly between the one so adjustable and the other for tilting adjustment of that other, and its retention in adjusted position.

2. A chair comprising a floor-engaging support including a transverse, elevated pivot rod, a seat and a back each independently tiltably supported upon said rod, 2. motor carried by the seat, a first jack shaft journaled in the seat, ofiset from the axis of said rod, a tubular second jack shaftrotatably mounted upon said'first jack shaft; each of 's'aid jack Shafts being operatively connected for independent rotation to said motor, a first gear quadrant fixed to said pivot rod, a pinion on the .seat meshing therewith and connected for rotation to one of said jack shafts, thereby to tilt the seat, a second gear quadrant fixed to the back, a pinion on the seat meshing therewith andoperatively connected for rotation to the other of .said jack shafts, thereby to tilt the back, and control means selectively energizable to tilt the back i or the seat from said motor.

3. A chair as in claim 2, wherein the operative connection between each jack shaft and the motor comprises a rackguided in the seat, screw "means operable from the motor to move said rack in the direction of its length, and a rack pinion "upon the jack shaft meshing with said rack and rotatable by the latters lengthwise movement.

- 4; A chair comprising a floor-engaging support, a first main body-supporting member pivotally supported from said support for tilting abouta transverse horizontal axis located above the fioor,,a second main body-supportin member likewise pivotally supported from said support coaxially of said first member, means reacting directly from said first member for tilting said second member relative to the first, and for retaining the second in any such tilted position relative to the first, and means reacting from the support for tilting the first member, and the second therewith, relative to the support, and for retaining the first in any such tilted position relative to the support.

. -5'. A chair comprising a floor-engaging support, a first main body-supporting member pivotally supported from said support for tilting for retaining the second in any such tilted posi-- tion relative to the first, and mean reacting from the support for tilting the first member, and the second therewith, relative to the support, and for-retaining the first in any such tilted'position relative to the support, a single powermeans mounted upon and tiltabl'ewith-one of said .members', reversible transmission means extending thence to the means for tilting the first'member, further reversible transmission means-extending thence to the means for tilting the second 'member, and control means to energizeqat will either of said transmission means, in either sense, or both simultaneously. 1

6. A chair as inclaim 5, characterized in that the power means is mounted upon the first member.

'7. A chair comprising a support, a seat, a back; means supporting each of the seat and back from the support for tilting; a head rest, aleg rest. means supporting each thereof for movement relative to the seat and back, respectively; adjusting mechanism reacting between oneof the several movable members and the support; further adjusting mechanism reacting between that member and the other such members for adjustment of the latter; a single power source carried by one such member; transmission mechanism extending from said power source to the several adjusting mechanisms; and selective control means operable to energize each transmission mechanism independently of any other thereof, and so to effect adjustment of each movable member relative to the frame, or of all conjointly with that one the adjusting mechanism whereo reacts from the support. FRANK J. LUKETA.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 152,200 Luketa Dec. 28,1948 659,216 Dowling Oct. 9., 1900 1,182,125 Whitehead May 9, 1916 1,586,740 Heck June 1, 1926 2,133,471 Opperman Oct. 18, 1938 2,281,085 Bell .Apr. 28, 1942 2,480,300 Luketa Aug. 30, 1949 2,491,898 Luketa Dec. 20, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 5,508 Germany Oct. 19, 1878 

